Brayden Point rumoured to be playing through a significant injury
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point has been one of the Bolts' best forwards for the last half-decade. The speed and intensity that he brings to the table are among tops in the league and he's got the skill and finishing ability to round out his game nicely. Simply put, he's proven to be a total package type player for the Lightning and is a huge reason why they're the back-to-back defending Champs.
Point has played just 66 of Tampa's 82 games this season and sat out several games down the stretch leading up to the playoffs nursing an upper-body injury - believed to be his shoulder. On Monday night in Toronto, the Bolts played a tough, physical game, but one name who was less than noticeable for most of the game was Brayden Point.
There is some speculation that Point is playing through a significant injury, and the advanced stats seem to indicate just that. Just how "off his game" is Point? Well, take a look at his charts below. On the left, you'll see an amalgamation of his 2019, 2020 and 2021 play. On the right, his 2022 play.
If Point truly is playing injured, that's going to be really tough on the Lightning. They know all too well how physically taxing the playoffs are. To suffer an injury along the way to a Cup is one thing. Being injured before the playoffs even start is another thing entirely.
We saw what happened to the Leafs last year with no John Tavares in the lineup. It didn't take long for the Canadiens to figure out how to exploit the matchup game without Toronto having a legit 2C in the lineup. The Leafs can basically do the same with Tampa this season.
Brayden Point at 100% is an endlessly talented player. Brayden Point at 70% might be much closer to an average or slightly above average 2C. If it is a shoulder injury, it would impact his ability to throw the body and if it's his dominant shoulder, it would certainly take a little bit of zip off of his shot.
Maybe Point is closer to 100% than he seemed on Monday, and perhaps we'll see that as soon as tonight's Game 2. But if Point is pushing through a significant injury that is hampering his ability to play to the level that he's accustomed to playing at, he may be far less effective, which is not a good thing for the Bolts.
| POLL | ||
MAI 4 | 172 ANSWERS Brayden Point rumoured to be playing through a significant injury How many points will Brayden Point end the series with? | ||
| 1-3 | 56 | 32.6 % |
| 4=6 | 60 | 34.9 % |
| 7-9 | 41 | 23.8 % |
| 10+ | 15 | 8.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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